Gary Provost

Gary Provost (November 14, 1944 – May 10, 1995) was an American writer and writing instructor, author of works including Make every word count: a guide to writing that works—for fiction and nonfiction and 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing: Proven Professional Techniques for Writing with Style and Power (1985). He was married to Gail Provost, and together they wrote 3 books.

Life and career Provost was born in Boston and grew up in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of 9 children, with his other siblings being "scattered about the state in various foster homes or reform schools"

In addition to writing books, Provost also wrote columns and celebrity profiles.

One of his most well-known quotes is based on a writing tip he gave, "vary sentence length". The quote, which is often referred to as "Write Music", is: This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It's like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.

Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals—sounds that say listen to this, it is important.

So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader's ear. Don't just write words. Write music. Provost died on May 10, 1995. His death was sudden, and it interrupted his then-ongoing projects, including a book about Humphrey Bogart. Some of his unfinished work has been published posthumously, including "Baffled In Boston" published in 2001, and "The Dorchester Gas Tank" published in 2016.